Jet linked to Russia's Abramovich leaves Israel for Istanbul

JERUSALEM: A jet suspected to be used by sanctioned oligarch Roman Abramovich left Israel on Monday (Mar 14), as international moves to freeze assets of top Russian businessmen following Russia's invasion of Ukraine gathered pace.

A person with knowledge of the matter told Reuters that a plane used by Abramovich flew into Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport on Sunday.

Flight-tracking website Radarbox said that the plane, which has the tail number LX-RAY, took off from Ben Gurion with Istanbul marked as its destination.

Tracking websites showed that it arrived from Moscow late on Sunday. Israeli restrictions imposed on private jets since the invasion meant that it could not remain on the ground for more than 24 hours.

Reuters could not immediately confirm that Abramovich, who also holds Israeli and Portuguese citizenship, was aboard.

Earlier, a van accompanied by security guards left Abramovich's villa in Herzliya Pituah, an affluent suburb of Tel Aviv, headed to the airport, Kan public radio said. It was unclear from footage tweeted by the station whether he was inside.

Abramovich, owner of Britain's Chelsea Football Club, was among seven oligarchs added to the British sanctions list on Thursday in a bid to isolate Russian President Vladimir Putin over his invasion of Ukraine.

Top European Union diplomats have agreed to add Abramovich to the EU list of Russian billionaires sanctioned since the fighting began, two diplomatic sources said on Monday.

Abramovich has denied having close ties to Putin.

A British transport ministry source said on Friday that Britain was searching for helicopters and jets belonging to the sanctioned oligarchs.

Multiple properties including opulent yachts worth hundreds of millions of dollars have been seized by